Ms. Molinari, 53, will begin in mid-March as the tech giant's vice president of public policy and government relations for the Americas, managing policy advocacy and government outreach in North and South America.

Her mission is to "help lawmakers and regulators understand Google's business -- both technology and its impact on the economy and our culture," a Google official told Politico.

The move increases Google's government firepower at a time of rising scrutiny on issues like privacy and antitrust.

Ms. Molinari, a Staten Island native who now lives in Virginia, represented the borough in the House from 1990 to 1997.

"The Google office in Washington has not had someone with the visibility of a former member of Congress, and with her understanding of the complexities of the legislative process," former Sen. John E. Sununu told Politico. "Google is receiving a higher level of scrutiny. ... When you're such a large and growing company, you have to have a strong, visible, capable leader in Washington."